New Anthony Scaramucci book offers window into Donald Trump's ascension to president

Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci called out his old boss’ new trade bill on Twitter.
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Anthony Scaramucci's new book, "Trump: The Blue-Collar President," hit the shelves on Tuesday, providing a glimpse of the former communication director's time on the Trump campaign and tumultuous 11 days in the White House.

The book also outlines Scaramucci's analysis of the forces that buoyed his former boss' rise — in particular, his appeal to working-class and middle-class Americans who felt excluded by modern politics.

One chapter details a campaign rally in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Scaramucci says he began to fully realize why the flamboyant billionaire was catching on. It was his first time as a surrogate for Trump after working briefly for the campaigns of Jeb Bush and Scott Walker.

"For the first time in a long time, I saw real evidence that the state of the American dream was not well," Scaramucci writes. "As I said, it took the campaign from a guy who lived in a tower on Fifth Avenue next to Tiffany to show me what was happening in America's middle class."

Throughout the book, Scaramucci frequently references his own working-class roots, and how he idolized Trump for years before he joined his presidential campaign.

"For a blue-collar guy, working in finance, who wanted to rise through the economic classes and reach for the Gold Ring, Mr. Trump was the Great Gatsby," Scaramucci writes. "When I read his book I experienced a turning point. Although I might not have been able to build a tower, I wanted to dream big like he did."

CLOSE

Trump's former Director of Communications called the guilty plea by Michael Cohen and conviction of Paul Manafort an "iceberg." Anthony Scaramucci said he thinks Trump needs to 'assess the damage' and make a statement. (Aug. 22)
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A major theme of the book is Trump's appeal as an outsider who uses humor to provoke and flouts time-honored political norms.

"In all areas of life but the presidency, people seem to root for the outsider. They want to see the underdog prevail against a system that's keeping everyone down," Scaramucci writes. "But when it comes to the presidency, we don't seem to have the same open-mindedness. We're too blinded by the pomp and circumstance of the office. The tradition. We believe that there's some solemn, priestly quality that anyone ascending to the Oval must have."

Scaramucci briefly served on Trump's transition team in the weeks before he took office, but was pushed out of a formal role in the administration — in his telling, by the conniving of former chief of staff Reince Priebus and former strategist Steve Bannon.

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And, he argues, Priebus and Bannon were responsible for the brevity of his time as communications director in July 2017. Scaramucci was fired after a New Yorker article detailed profanity-laced remarks he made to a reporter about Priebus and Bannon.

"The town is like the writers from Game of Thrones joined the writers from The Hunger Games and VEEP to write an episode of House of Cards," Scaramucci writes. "It's not a matter of if you're going to get fucked in Washington, it's a matter of when. For me, the countdown clock started to tick the moment Trump gave me the job."

The book is mostly admiring of Trump, with scattered anecdotes that illustrate Trump's political savvy as well as kindness toward Scaramucci. But at times, Scaramucci is unafraid to criticize the president.

On immigration, Scaramucci says, the president's words were "too rough."

"Part of the president's immigration policy is a leftover from Bannon's reign as presidential advisor and strategist. Some strategist," Scaramucci writes. "His policy would go on to produce photos of hysterical small children after being separated from their parents at the border. Bannon 'the brain,' my ass.'"

As the book draws to a close, Scaramucci tells of the genuine regret he had over the phone call that prompted the New Yorker story, and the overall conclusion of his stint in the White House.

"I knew I wasn't going to have the White House job forever. I just thought I would have lasted longer than a quart of milk," he writes. "I still wonder what would have happened if the president had given me another chance. I think I would have learned the comms director position and done a good job."

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